Brazil — Property: Buying Process

Key facts

• A CPF (Brazilian taxpayer ID), obtainable at a Brazilian consulate abroad or from the Receita Federal, is the one essential prerequisite document for a foreign buyer.
• Ownership legally transfers only when the escritura pública (public deed) is registered on the property's matrícula at the Cartório de Registro de Imóveis (Civil Code Art. 1.245) — signing a private purchase agreement alone does not transfer title.
• The transfer tax is ITBI (Imposto sobre Transmissão de Bens Imóveis), a municipal tax typically 2%-4% of the property's value, due before registration — not 'ISS' (which is a separate services tax unrelated to property transfers).
• A typical urban property purchase takes about 60-90 days from signed purchase agreement to registered title.

Steps

1. Obtain a CPF — Register for a CPF (Brazilian taxpayer ID) at a Brazilian consulate abroad or via the Receita Federal — required to sign any purchase agreement or deed.
2. Find a property and engage a lawyer — Search listings or work with a real estate agent (imobiliária), and engage a Brazilian property lawyer to handle due diligence and the transaction.
3. Due diligence — Obtain the certidão de ônus reais (registry certificate of liens/encumbrances), certidão negativa de débitos municipais (no outstanding IPTU/municipal fees), and certidão negativa de débitos condominiais (no outstanding condo fees) before committing to buy.
4. Sign the preliminary purchase agreement — Sign a contrato/acordo de compra e venda with the seller specifying price, payment terms, and conditions — this is not itself a transfer of ownership.
5. Pay ITBI and sign the public deed — Pay ITBI (municipal transfer tax) and sign the escritura pública (public deed) at a cartório de notas (notary office).
6. Register the deed — Register the escritura at the Cartório de Registro de Imóveis on the property's matrícula — this is the step that legally transfers ownership under Civil Code Article 1.245.

Costs

• ITBI (transfer tax): typically 2%-4% of the property's value, varies by municipality
• Notary and registry fees: varies by state/municipality
• Lawyer fees: varies, commonly a percentage of transaction value or a fixed fee

Timelines

• Full purchase process (agreement to registered title): typically 60-90 days for a straightforward urban purchase

Required documents

• CPF (Brazilian taxpayer ID) of the buyer
• Passport
• Certidão de ônus reais (liens/encumbrances certificate)
• Certidão negativa de débitos municipais (no outstanding IPTU/municipal debts)
• Certidão negativa de débitos condominiais (no outstanding condo fees, where applicable)
• Proof of ITBI payment

Common mistakes

• Treating due diligence as a formality — a hidden judicial mortgage, unpaid IPTU lien, or contested inheritance attached to a property transfers with it, and is much harder to fix after closing.
• Assuming signing the purchase agreement transfers ownership — legally, title only transfers when the deed is registered at the Cartório de Registro de Imóveis.
• Confusing ITBI (the actual municipal property transfer tax) with ISS (a services tax) or budgeting the wrong rate for it.